Heriot-Watt University
Accounts Payable Supervisor
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Purpose of Role
The Accounts Payable Manager is responsible for leading, developing and continuously improving the University’s Accounts Payable function.
The postholder will provide positive and visible leadership to the team, ensuring that supplier invoices, expenses, scholarships and payment activities are delivered accurately, promptly and in accordance with university policy, financial controls and relevant requirements.
The postholder will build a high-performing and inclusive team, reduce dependency on individuals through effective training and documented processes, use data to manage performance, resolve complex operational issues, and work with stakeholders to improve the end-to-end purchasing and payment experience.
Key Duties & Responsibilities
Positive leadership and people development
- Provide visible, inclusive and supportive leadership, setting clear standards while treating colleagues fairly and respectfully.
- Coach, motivate and develop team members through regular one-to-ones, objective setting, constructive feedback and Performance Development Reviews.
- Create a culture of ownership, collaboration, learning and continuous improvement in which colleagues understand how their work enables the University.
- Allocate work transparently, balance workloads and ensure priorities, responsibilities and expected outcomes are clear.
- Address performance, conduct, attendance and wellbeing matters promptly and constructively, in line with university policies.
- Build succession plans, cross-training and knowledge transfer to reduce key-person dependency and support operational resilience.
- Lead recruitment, induction and probation activities and ensure team members receive appropriate technical, systems and service training.
Operational device ownership
- Lead the effective day-to-day delivery of the end-to-end Accounts Payable service across the University.
- Oversee invoice processing, employee and non-employee expenses, scholarships, payment preparation, supplier statement reconciliation and resolution of exceptions.
- Plan capacity and priorities across routine activity, month-end, year-end, audit and periods of operational pressure.
- Ensure queries, complaints and escalations are handled promptly, professionally and to a clear conclusion.
- Establish service standards and an accessible service approach that helps colleagues follow the correct process first time.
- Maintain business continuity arrangements and ensure appropriate cover for critical activities.
Financial control, compliance and audit readiness
- Ensure activity complies with University Financial Regulations, delegated authorities, policies and agreed procedures.
- Maintain effective controls over supplier data, invoice approval, payment preparation, segregation of duties and prevention of duplicate, erroneous or fraudulent payments.
- Provide assurance that Accounts Payable balances, reconciliations and supporting records are complete, accurate and appropriately evidenced.
- Support internal/external audit activity, respond to findings and ensure agreed actions are delivered and embedded.
- Identify control weaknesses, assess operational risk and escalate material issues promptly with clear recommended actions.
- Protect confidential and personal information and promote appropriate information handling across the team.
Process improvement and digital enablement
- Own and maintain clear, accessible standard operating procedures, process maps, guidance and control documentation.
- Use root-cause analysis to address recurring failures, remove unnecessary manual work and improve customer and supplier experience.
- Work with Finance Systems and other stakeholders to optimise Oracle Fusion and associated tools, workflows and reporting.
- Lead prioritised improvement projects from definition through implementation, adoption and benefits review.
- Encourage team members to suggest improvements and create a safe environment for constructive challenge and learning.
- Promote standardisation, self-service and effective use of data while ensuring changes preserve or strengthen financial control.
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Performance, insight and decision-making
- Develop meaningful KPIs covering timeliness, quality, backlog, query resolution, reconciliations, control compliance and service experience.
- Use data and professional judgement to identify trends, emerging risks, capacity constraints and improvement priorities.
- Provide concise, accurate reports and commentary for Finance leadership and other stakeholders.
- Set clear recovery actions where performance falls below standard and monitor delivery to completion.
- Contribute to forecasting, period-end reporting and management of the University’s supplier liabilities.
Stakeholder partnership and service excellence
- Build trusted relationships with colleagues across the University and understand the needs of different user groups.
- Explain complex processes and control requirements clearly, adapting communication to the audience.
- Balance strong customer service with the consistent application of university policy and financial controls.
- Work collaboratively across Finance and Professional Services to improve the end-to-end procure-to-pay process.
- Represent Accounts Payable in relevant meetings, projects and working groups and deputise for senior Finance colleagues where appropriate.
- Promote a professional, responsive and enabling image of Finance in every interaction.
Decision-making and accountability
- Make timely operational decisions within delegated authority and escalate matters with material financial, control, legal or reputational implications.
- Assess competing priorities and risks, ensuring that critical payments, statutory obligations, control activity and service commitments are appropriately balanced.
- Provide authoritative advice on Accounts Payable policy, process and control matters, identifying practical and proportionate solutions.
- Own delivery against agreed objectives, service measures, audit actions and improvement plans.
Essential & Desirable Criteria
Shortlisting and selection will consider both what candidates have achieved and how they lead.
Evidence of aptitude, judgement, behaviours and the ability to create positive outcomes through people is as important as technical Accounts Payable experience.
Essential
- Degree-level education, AAT qualification, or equivalent relevant professional experience.
- Substantial experience in Accounts Payable or closely related financial operations, including financial controls and complex issue resolution.
- Evidence of positively leading, coaching and developing a team, setting expectations, managing performance and supporting change.
- Confident use of ERP systems and management information; strong Excel capability; ability to use data to improve decisions and performance.
- Practical understanding of segregation of duties, supplier and payment controls, reconciliations, audit evidence and operational risk.
- Evidence of diagnosing root causes, simplifying processes, documenting procedures and implementing sustainable improvements.
Desirable
- Evidence of continuing professional development.
- Relevant professional or management qualification.
- Higher Education or complex multi-entity experience.
- Oracle Fusion and workflow, automation or self-service improvement experience.
- Experience leading audit actions or control-improvement programmes.
- Formal change, project or continuous improvement experience.
- Ability to build credible relationships, influence constructively and explain complex requirements clearly.
- Experience managing sensitive supplier or customer complaints.
What success will look like
Indicative outcomes for the first 12 months are:
- A clear, positive and accountable team culture, supported by regular one-to-ones, objective setting, development plans and effective communication.
- Critical activities are resilient, with documented procedures, effective cover and reduced dependency on individual knowledge holders.
- Service standards and performance measures are established, understood and used to drive action.
- Backlogs, aged exceptions and unresolved supplier issues are visible, prioritised and managed through sustainable controls rather than short-term workarounds.
- Audit evidence, reconciliations and control documentation are complete, accessible and maintained as part of routine operations.
- Priority process improvements are implemented and adopted, with demonstrable benefits for control, efficiency and user experience.
- Stakeholders experience Accounts Payable as a responsive, professional and enabling partner.
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University management expectations
- Allocate responsibilities, agree clear objectives and monitor delivery.
- Recruit, induct, support and develop colleagues so individual contributions are optimised.
- Ensure compliance with legal, health and safety, equality, data protection and University requirements within the area of responsibility.
- Plan and organise the work of the team, manage resources responsibly and take corrective action when delivery is at risk.
- Communicate clearly and consistently, maintain confidentiality and contribute constructively to wider University priorities.
- Demonstrate the University’s values and promote an inclusive environment in which colleagues can contribute and belong.
Additional information
This job description provides a framework for the role and is not an exhaustive list of duties.
The postholder may be asked to undertake other activities appropriate to the nature and grade of the role.
Responsibilities and objectives may evolve to reflect organisational priorities, service needs and implementation of Strategy 2035.
How to Apply
Applications can be submitted up to midnight (UK time) on 12th of October 2026.
Please submit your CV & covering letter via the Heriot-Watt on-line recruitment. We welcome and will consider flexible working patterns e.g., part-time working and job share options.
Heriot-Watt University is committed to securing equality of opportunity in employment and to the creation of an environment in which individuals are selected, trained, promoted, appraised, and otherwise treated on the sole basis of their relevant merits and abilities. Equality and diversity are all about maximising potential and creating a culture of inclusion for all.
Heriot-Watt University values diversity across our university community and welcomes applications from all sectors of society, particularly from underrepresented groups.
For more information, please see our website and also our award-winning work in Disability Inclusive Science Careers. Use our total rewards calculator: to see the value of benefits provided by Heriot-Watt University.
About the Team
The Human Resources Directorate plays a critical role in supporting the University’s people strategy, organisational effectiveness and culture.
Working closely with senior leaders and professional services colleagues, HR leads on workforce planning, organisational change, employee relations and the development of new ways of working across the University’s global campuses. This role sits at the intersection of HR and Communications, providing specialist internal communications support during a period of significant organisational change.
The postholder will work in close partnership with HR colleagues and the central Marketing and Communications function to ensure staff communications are clear, timely, aligned and professionally governed. This role complements the existing Internal Communications and Events Manager position, which retains responsibility for University-wide internal engagement channels and corporate staff events.
About Heriot-Watt University
At Heriot-Watt we are passionate about our values and look
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